UK households have been warned that smart toasters could be hacked to access their home network. Smart devices, such as fridges, toasters, or thermostats, could become vulnerable to cyber attacks, which can lead to hackers gaining control over other devices, according to experts.
It mainly applies to hardware that is older, hasn’t been updated or is no longer monitored, with hackers taking advantage of weaker security to sneak into the home network. Evgeny Goncharov of the cybersecurity company Kaspersky told The Times: “When having access to one device, you have the ability to connect to the server and then communicate with your other devices, and sometimes take control over them. The problems are many.”
Andrew Laughlin from Which? said that zombie products, those that keep working but are no longer supported, leave devices vulnerable to data breaches or compromise.
Most recently, Google announced it would withdraw support for its Nest smart thermostats from 2011 and 2012 from October this year, which experts say is a reminder that many devices become a security threat as they age and lose security support.
Alan Woodward, professor of cyber security at the University of Surrey, said: “In some ways it might not matter that you toaster doesn’t get updated”, explaining that if devices with a vulnerability remain connected, it can be a stepping stone into the home.
Last year, the National Cyber Security Centre issued a warning that 260,000 devices around the world, including webcams, had been hijacked by a company with links to the Chinese government.
Recently major retailers were subject to cyber attacks, including Marks and Spencer who was first targeted by cyber criminals days before the Co-op and Harrods were forced to shut down some IT systems and restrict internet access to fend off similar attacks.
